Reports

Departmental Performance Report 2013-14 - Companion Document

Companion Document: Additional Program Results and Performance Information

Foreword

Due to the limit of 350 words per program summary instituted by Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (TBS), some of the program highlights that were previously included in the Departmental Performance Report (DPR) have been moved to this companion document. The information in this document will not be tabled in Parliament. In the electronic version of the 2013-14 DPR, users will be able to click on embedded links to bring them to sections of the companion document, hosted on the public website, to access additional performance information and results tables at the program and sub program levels.

Section II: Analysis of Program(s) by Strategic Outcome

PROGRAM 1.1: HERITAGE PLACES ESTABLISHMENT

Parks Canada's target for commemorations is that 33% of yearly commemorations be in one of the three under-represented themes of ethnocultural communities, women, and Aboriginal history Ministerial commemorations in 2013-14 by type and by under-represented theme are shown in the table below. Two of the commemorations were related to ethnocultural communities' history and one to Aboriginal history.

SUB PROGRAM 1.1.1: NATIONAL PARK ESTABLISHMENT AND EXPANSION

SUB PROGRAM 1.1.3: NATIONAL MARINE CONSERVATION AREA ESTABLISHMENT

PROGRAM 1.2: HERITAGE RESOURCES CONSERVATION

Results of National Historic Sites Whose Initial Assessment Rated Red (Poor)

Performance Expectation: 60% of national historic sites where the condition of cultural resources of national significance rated as poor in their initial assessment are improved by March 2014.

Result: 9 of 13 (69%) sites have improved their rating from 'Red' to 'Yellow' or 'Green' between 2001-02 and 2011-12.

SUB-PROGRAM 1.2.2: NATIONAL HISTORIC SITES CONSERVATION

Results of National Historic Sites Whose Initial Assessment Rated Red (Poor)

Performance Expectation: 60% of national historic sites where the condition of historic buildings and structures of national significance rated as poor in their initial assessment are improved by March 2014.

Result: 9 of 13 (69%) sites have improved their rating from 'Red' to 'Yellow' or 'Green' between 2001-02 and 2011-12.

PROGRAM 1.4: VISITOR EXPERIENCE

The Visitor Information Program (VIP) uses a standard questionnaire to provide information to managers of national parks, national historic sites and national marine conservation areas about their visitors, including their use of products and services, their satisfaction with products and services, and other aspects of their visit. Selection of individual protected places to participate in the Visitor Information Program each year is aligned, as much as possible, with the timing of management planning and reporting requirements. The national parks, national historic sites and national marine conservation areas that participate in the VIP over a five-year cycle account for the majority of the total recorded visits to heritage places administered by Parks Canada.

In 2013-14, 11 locations conducted the survey during the peak survey period of June to September 2013. Specific annual results and Agency averages for specific performance expectations were as follows:

Satisfaction: Ten of 11 locations surveyed exceeded the target of 90 percent of visitors satisfied, and all 11 locations exceeded the target of 50 percent of visitors very satisfied with their visit. The overall Agency averages are 95 percent and 70 percent, respectively.

Meaningful: Four of 11 surveyed locations met or exceeded the target of 85 percent, while seven locations mostly met the target. The overall Agency average is 83 percent.

Detailed results are in the following table.

Note: Satisfaction is a subjective measure of a visitor's overall experience. Services, activities, and interactions with staff are among the many things that contribute to a visitor's level of satisfaction. The mix of factors that is important varies by visitor and can, to some degree, vary by place.

Note: Meaningful is a subjective measure of personal connection and is based on an individual's internalization of his or her experiences at a particular national park or historic site. The mix of experiences that are important for personal connection varies by visitor.

SUB-PROGRAMS 1.4.2, 1.4.3, 1.4.4, 1.4.5: NATIONAL PARKS AND NATIONAL HISTORIC SITES INTERPRETATION AND VISITOR SERVICE OFFER

Enjoyment: Nine of 11 surveyed locations met or exceeded the target of 90 percent, and two mostly met it. The overall Agency average is 95 percent.

Learning: Two of two national parks exceeded the target of 60 percent learned something. As for surveyed national historic sites, seven exceeded the performance target of 85 percent, while the remaining two mostly met the target. The overall Agency average is 82%.

Detailed results are in the following table.

Other Items of Interest

Métis Reconciliation - 2013-14 Accomplishments

The Government of Canada is committed to building strong and mutually beneficial working relationships with Métis and other Aboriginal groups. A multi-departmental strategy to implement programs related to the reconciliation and management of Métis Aboriginal rights was approved in 2010, led by Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada. Under this strategy, Parks Canada will receive a total of $5.12 million spread equally over five years; the first year of funding was 2010-11. Five projects were completed under the Métis program funding before 2013-14 began.

Work continued during 2013-14 on 10 projects in Western Canada and one through national office. Specifically, the greatest efforts went to relationship building and engagement efforts in areas with significant Métis populations: three national parks, Wood Buffalo (N. Alberta and NWT), Jasper (Alberta) and Riding Mountain (Manitoba), and two national historic sites, Rocky Mountain House (Alberta) and Fort Walsh (Saskatchewan).

Another six projects continued interpretation efforts to give voice to the Métis in national historic sites:

• at Rocky Mountain House for management of the heritage camping offer and other Métis products and coordination of the annual pow-wow on site;
• at Fort Walsh on a heritage trail, a bridge, cabins and panels explaining the history of the Métis in this area;
• in Winnipeg for a summer student at the Forks, interpretive panels at the site of the Battle of Seven Oaks and production of a travelling exhibit for Riel House; and
• in Heritage Conservation and Commemoration at national office, for work on a travelling exhibit of Métis artifacts and images.

Several of these projects will continue into next year, either as ongoing (five-year) projects or to completion.

In addition, a number of new projects were undertaken, including a celebration of Métis culture in Fort St. James in recognition of a new exhibit on the Carrier People, some exhibit translations, replacement of an Aboriginal Day tent, and promotion of the heritage camping at Rocky Mountain House. At national office, the production of cultural awareness training modules began, as did preparations for the filming of Métis project accomplishments at national parks and historic sites during the summer of 2014.

Planning was completed in the field for another eleven small projects, to be executed in 2014-15. These consist of the production of several books, celebrations of Métis life, website content development, a tourism package at Batoche and a virtual tour of Fort Walsh.

¹ Carleton Martello Tower NHSC baseline rating Yellow in 2001-02. Rated Red in 2008-09. Fort Mississauga NHSC baseline rating Yellow in 2003-04. Rated Red in 2011-12. Sites not included here as initial assessment were Yellow.

² The Dredge No. 4 Stabilization and Protection work is a multi-year project beyond 2013-14. Only until the work is mostly complete will the rating be expected to move from Red.

³ Carleton Martello Tower NHSC baseline rating Yellow in 2001-02. Rated Red in 2008-09. Fort Mississauga NHSC baseline rating Yellow in 2003-04. Rated Red in 2011-12. Sites not included here as initial assessment were Yellow.

⁴ Lachine Canal is expected to be reassessed in 2014-15.

⁵ The Dredge No. 4 Stabilization and Protection work is a multi-year project beyond 2013-14. Only until the work is mostly complete will the rating be expected to move from Red.